Blooming Grove firearms plan moves forward

By Kevin Kearney
July 10, 2013 —

BLOOMING GROVE TOWNSHIP, PA — Township supervisors have approved revisions to subdivision maps submitted by Kahr Firearms Group, which is looking to set up corporate offices and a manufacturing plant in the dormant Pike County Business Park.

Kahr attorney John T. Stieh of Milford, approached the supervisors at their July 1 meeting, saying the maps from 2004 did not have the measurements and bounds descriptions to define the lot locations. The approval was unanimous and the revised maps will be recorded with the county mapping department.

Kahr, currently located in Pearl River, NY, is looking to keep 13 lots, located in highly sensitive environmental areas, undeveloped, while utilizing lots one through seven as part of a phase-one project to relocate the corporate offices and construct a manufacturing facility. The sewage treatment lot also will be included as part of the preliminary plans.

Kahr must now take its plans before the planning commission. If all goes smoothly, a conditional use hearing will be held before the supervisors in late August, Stieh said.

Supervisor Randy Schmalzle voiced his approval of the project. “It’s fantastic,” he said. “It will bring good jobs to the area and enhance our tax base.”

The company has already hired two engineering firms and is interviewing local candidates to fill an operations manager position. The company hopes to employ between 80 and 100 people at the proposed facility.

The first step in a multi-phased plan would be site preparation, clearing of trees and office construction, which could happen late this year, according to a news release from Kahr. That would be followed by the relocation of company corporate offices and the research and development department.

In the second phase, manufacturing operations would be expanded to the business park to meet the increasing demand for Kahr’s products, Thompson, Auto-Ordnance and Magnum Research.

There also is talk about the possibility of constructing an indoor firing range, Stieh said.